How to start a thread (basic)
1. From Dashboard: Click the “New Post” link listed under “Why theory?” From the blog itself: In the upper right-hand corner of the window, click “New Post.”
2. Type your post into the text box. You may want to write your response in Word first and then copy and paste it into the box. Don’t forget to include a title for your post!
3. Click the spell check button.
4. Click “Preview” if you wish to look it over before publishing.
5. If you like the way your post looks, click “Publish Post.”
How to start a thread (advanced)
If you want to add images to your post:
1. Click the image button. A pop-up window will appear. (Make sure your browser allows pop-up windows.)
2. Either click “Choose file” to select an image from your hard drive or enter the URL of the image you want to use.
3. Select a layout: none, left, center, or right.
4. Select an image size: small, medium, or large.
5. Click the “I accept the Terms of Service” box.
6. Click the “Upload image” button when you’re finished.
If you want to include labels (keywords that describe the content of your post):
1. Select important words that describe the major themes of your post. For example: Dracula, Barthes, postcolonialism. If you want to see labels previously used by another post, click “Show all.”
2. Type your words into the “Labels for this post” box.
3. They will automatically appear with the thread when you publish it.
How to reply to a post
1. Click the pencil in the lower right-hand corner.
2. Enter your response in the comment box. You may want to write your response in Word first and then copy and paste it into the box.
3. Click “Preview” if you wish to look it over before publishing.
4. If you like the way your post looks, click “Publish Your Comment.”
* In case you were wondering, the title of the blog is not merely a rhetorical question about the purpose of theory. It comes from a song (entitled "Why Theory?") by post-punk band Gang of Four.
